Written Answers Thursday 14 September 2006

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Andrew Arbuckle (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken, or representations it has made, to minimise the impact on the business community in Scotland of disruption to air travellers.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Department for Transport and with airport operators in Scotland to seek assurances that the security measures introduced and implemented by the Department for Transport minimise the level of disruption to travellers, including the business community.

  The Department for Transport is discussing with the industry the scope for adjustments to the current security regime that would improve the experience for passengers while maintaining fully robust security.

Anthrax

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it was made aware of a case of anthrax in the Scottish Borders which resulted in the death of Christopher Norris in July 2006.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether officials have confirmed which range of tests were carried out on the samples which were later used to establish that Christopher Norris from the Scottish Borders had died from anthrax.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date officials involved in the testing of a sample from Christopher Norris from the Scottish Borders first suspected that it was a case of anthrax.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which agency or official made the decision to send a sample related to the death of Christopher Norris to Porton Down Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27842 on 11 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Anthrax

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish any initial report produced by Health Protection Scotland into the death from anthrax of Christopher Norris from the Scottish Borders.

Mr Andy Kerr: Once all relevant control measures have been completed and subject to further legal guidance from the procurator fiscal, NHS Borders will formulate a report on the incident which will include a review of the measures taken, lessons learned and recommendations. This report will be prepared by NHS Borders with input from Health Protection Scotland.

Asylum Seekers

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is working to tackle poverty among refugees and asylum seekers.

Malcolm Chisholm: We are supporting a range of initiatives to tackle poverty and social exclusion among refugees and asylum seekers, including projects supported by the Scottish Refugee Integration Fund.

Boundaries

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it invited the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland to comment on the recommendations which applied to that commission contained in the Arbuthnott Commission report on boundary differences and voting systems.

Mr Tom McCabe: No, however, there is nothing to prevent the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland from contributing or responding to a published report or consultation paper that has been placed in the public domain. The secretary of the Boundary Commission for Scotland who is also secretary to the Local Government Boundary Commission gave evidence to the Arbuthnott Commission on Boundary Differences and Voting Systems.

Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects sections 39 to 42 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 to be fully implemented, and what advice it will give to organisations who can no longer reorganise through the provisions of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990, but cannot avail themselves of sections 39 to 42 of the 2005 Act.

Johann Lamont: We are currently developing regulations under section 39(2) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 which will outline the procedures for applying to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator for a reorganisation. Charities will be able to reorganise in a more straightforward, swifter and cost-effective manner than was possible under the previous regime.

  We will issue the draft regulations for consultation this autumn in order to bring them into force early next year. In the meantime charities may prepare the substance of any application which they wish to submit, in the knowledge that the regulations covering the procedures for application will be in place in due course.

  A charity with the necessary powers in its constitution can already seek the consent of OSCR to amend its constitution so far as it relates to its purposes, amalgamate with another body, wind itself up or apply to court in relation to these actions under section 16 of the act. This section is already in force and OSCR is processing consents under it.

Class Sizes

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average S1 and S2 class sizes in maths and English have been in each year since 1997.

Peter Peacock: Class size data for secondary is not routinely collected as part of the annual school census exercise, but in order to estimate the number of additional Maths and English teachers required to meet our S1/S2 class size commitments a special collection was made in 2003.

  Information on the average class size of S1/S2 Maths and English classes is therefore only available for 2003. It is published on the Scottish Executive website and can be accessed using the following hyperlink http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/11/18511/28927.

  As there are no interim targets, we have no plans to collect this information again until school census week in September 2007.

Community Care

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is working to ensure that local authorities deliver care in the community.

Lewis Macdonald: The core local government finance settlement contains provision of £1.7 billion within GAE in the current year, to help fund older people’s and community care services in order to meet people’s assessed needs.

  The Social Work Inspection Agency examines authorities’ performance in carrying out their functions in relation to community care, and the joint improvement team works to support local partnerships to improve their performance.

Education

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what role financial education will play in A Curriculum for Excellence.

Peter Peacock: A Curriculum for Excellence aims to provide a curriculum framework which will enable all young people to become responsible citizens, effective contributors, successful learners and confident individuals.

  Financial education can contribute to the development of each of these capacities.

Education

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive in which subjects financial education will be taught under A Curriculum for Excellence.

Peter Peacock: Financial education will be delivered through a number of curriculum areas, for example, social studies and health and wellbeing, and mathematics.

Education

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools currently offer some form of financial education, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of pupils have received financial education in school in each year since 1999.

Peter Peacock: This information is not held centrally.

Education Maintenance Allowances

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how successful educational maintenance allowances have been for 16 to 18-year-olds in schools.

Robert Brown: Twenty-three thousand, six hundred and fifty students received Education Maintenance Allowance payments in Scotland in 2004-05. Statistics for 2005-06 will be published in November. Qualitative research on the pilot programmes showed increased participation in learning.

Employment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether Bulgarian and Romanian citizens should be allowed access to the Scottish job market if the two countries enter the European Union in 2007.

Mr Tom McCabe: The need for a managed migration system in the UK is widely acknowledged. Within that framework, and the related laws of the EU, we wish to see as open a job market as possible in Scotland. We are in contact with the Home Office and I am confident that Scotland will continue to attract hard working talented individuals who will help us build our economy.

Equal Pay

Mr Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether grant aided expenditure includes provision for the full costs to local authorities of implementing equal pay claims arising from implementation of single status agreements.

Mr Tom McCabe: The local government finance settlement contains adequate provision for local authority staff costs. How local authorities then manage their staffing costs, including how they implement equal pay claims, is a matter for them in their role as employers.

Equal Pay

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure that local authorities carry out gender impact assessments when implementing the single status pay agreement.

Mr Tom McCabe: As stated in my answer to question S2W-24555 on 19 April 2006, the Executive has not issued any specific guidance to local authorities in relation to their obligations under equal pay. General advice and guidance on such matters has, as you know, been published by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

  Once the Gender Equality Duty takes effect in April 2007, there will be a statutory requirement on all public bodies, including local authorities, to ensure that the policies they develop and services they deliver meet the potentially different needs of women and men.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can be at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Equal Pay

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with local authorities in respect of implementing the single status pay agreement and achieving equal pay and what the outcomes have been of such contact.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive has not so far been asked formally by COSLA to provide additional funding to help implement the Agreement although individual councils have asked for assistance from the Executive to meet their particular circumstances. The pay and conditions of local government staff are matters for local authorities who have an obligation, like other employers, to ensure that they comply with all employment legislation.

  However, COSLA has sought funding support from the Executive to meet other financial pressures facing councils and I have said on a number of occasions that I am prepared to look again at the funding for local government in 2007-08 and that remains the position.

Finance

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the publication of the report of the Budget Review Group has been delayed until 2007, given the Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform’s statement to the Finance Committee on 7 November 2005 that the findings would be published by spring 2006 ( Official Report c. 3012).

Mr Tom McCabe: There is a general expectation that the substantial rises over the last two spending reviews are unlikely to be repeated. Therefore, ministers may need to make some careful choices and the outcome of this review, which was submitted to me in July, will assist with this. Later publication of this information provides ministers time to explore and think through all the implications of particular options in private.

Justice

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether information is made public about individuals who have had sexual offences prevention orders granted against them and, if not, (a) how the public is made aware of any restrictions on the liberty of a sex offender and (b) whether the Executive will consider making such information public.

Cathy Jamieson: Sexual Offences Prevention Orders are intended to protect the public from the risk posed by sex offenders by placing restrictions on their behaviour. In order to manage that risk to the public it is essential that the police are able to monitor offenders. The most effective method of achieving this is for the police to undertake limited and sensitively managed disclosure of such information to relevant individuals and organisations, for example local authority parties or head teachers of local schools. This limited disclosure, assessed on a case by case basis by the police is designed to minimise the risk of driving the offender underground and is an important element in ensuring public safety.

Justice

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Crown Office will publish the Lord Advocate’s guidelines on sporting events which are read out to participants before events start; who reads out the guidelines, and where and at what events they are read.

Mrs Elish Angiolini QC: In July of 1996 the Lord Advocate issued guidelines to Chief Constables concerning the investigation and reporting of incidents of violence or disorderly conduct during sporting events. These guidelines are published on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Website www.copfs.gov.uk. Decisions about whether the guidelines, or parts of them, should be read out, to whom, by whom, where and at what events, are all operational matters for the police.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in reaching agreement with local government unions on the future of the Local Government Pension Scheme, particularly in relation to the Rule of 85, and what the Executive’s intentions are in respect of this issue.

Mr Tom McCabe: Discussions between the Scottish Executive, Unions and COSLA on proposals for a new Local Government Pension Scheme are on-going. The last meeting was on 23 August 2006 and further meetings are scheduled on a regular basis.

  On the related issue of the removal of the Rule of 85, a consultation exercise on draft regulations, carried out between 29 June and 31 July 2006, proposed full transitional protection for all existing members until 2008, and to 2020 for existing members who will be age 60 or more and who satisfy the Rule by that date. The comments received through the consultation exercise are being considered and an announcement will be made shortly. The draft regulations also proposed incorporating significant new flexibilities into the scheme to reflect the simplified tax regime provided by the Finance Act 2004. Regulations to implement these changes were laid in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 14 September 2006.

Malnutrition

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were (a) admitted to NHS hospitals with malnutrition and (b) treated for malnutrition in NHS hospitals in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information is available on patients where a diagnosis of malnutrition is entered on their hospital records at some point during their stay. This does not indicate whether patients received treatment for the condition.

  A table is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 40371) which presents the number of patients discharged from acute hospitals in Scotland during the past financial year who received a diagnosis of malnutrition at some point in their stay, categorised by hospital. These figures are likely to understate the true number of cases because malnutrition is often a symptom of illness rather than a cause and, as such, may not always be recorded.

Malnutrition

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people suffering from malnutrition when they were (a) admitted to and (b) discharged from hospital spent (i) up to one week, (ii) from one week to one month, (iii) from one to three months and (iv) more than three months in hospital in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information is available on patients where a diagnosis of malnutrition is entered on their hospital records at some point during their stay. This does not differentiate between diagnosis at admission, discharge or during an admission.

  The following table presents the number of patients discharged from acute hospitals in Scotland during the past financial year who received a diagnosis of malnutrition at some point in their stay, categorised by the length of stay. These figures are likely to understate the true number of cases because malnutrition is often a symptom of illness rather than a cause and, as such, may not always be recorded.

  Patients Discharged from Scottish Hospitals with a Diagnosis of Malnutrition

  

 Length of stay
Financial year ending 
31 March 2006


 7 days or less
 939


 8 to 28 days
 616


 29 to 84 days
 214


 85 days or more
 57


 Total patients
 1,826



  Source: SMR01 linked database.

  Date: 12th September 2006.

  Ref: ISD/HIG/IR2006-02730.

NHS Hospitals

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for inspecting the standard of cleanliness of each NHS hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: Domestic services managers for each NHS hospital are required to monitor performance to ensure compliance with the NHSScotland National Cleaning Services Specification. The monitoring process is supported by audits carried out by peer review teams representing infection control professionals, the public and colleagues with responsibility for estates management and managers with domestic services expertise. In addition, Health Facilities Scotland carry out random sample testing of results across NHSScotland. On 28 August 2006, Health Facilities Scotland published the first quarterly report on compliance against national standards. This information is available from their website www.hfs.scot.nhs.uk/guest/HaiInitiatives .

Parliamentary Questions

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S2W-26952 which received a holding reply on 17 July 2006.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested in S2W-26952 is currently being collated and will be provided as soon as possible.

Planning

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill will give local communities an increased role in plans for urban regeneration.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Planning Bill sets out our proposals for enhanced community participation in the planning system. Provisions in the Bill will ensure that local people are involved in the development planning process that will shape their communities.

Prison Service

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients at the State Hospital, Carstairs, are in receipt of the disability living allowance.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the disability living allowance allocated to patients at the State Hospital, Carstairs, is returned to the hospital to fund carers.

Lewis Macdonald: I understand there are no patients at The State Hospital in receipt of the disability living allowance. The allowance will usually stop after an adult has been in hospital for more than four weeks, or a child under 16, after 12 weeks.

  Policy and operation of the Disability Living Allowance is reserved to the Department of Works and Pensions.

Rural Development

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what value it places on the continued existence of small shops in Scotland’s most remote communities, particularly in terms of their role in maintaining the viability and cohesiveness of such communities.

Ross Finnie: The Executive recognises that shops can play an important role in helping to sustain thriving communities in Scotland’s remote rural areas. Successful shops that are adapted to changing patterns in people’s lifestyle, work and travel are a mark of a flourishing area. Through the Executive’s Closing the Opportunity Gap strategy, we are funding needed improvements to the Uig Community Shop on Lewis, run as a community co-operative. As with other projects to tackle rural exclusion, this was identified as a priority by the local community and the Community Planning Partnership. In addition, the Enterprise Networks provide support and advice to small and medium sized businesses, including shops, to help ensure their viability.

  In many of Scotland’s most remote communities, local post offices support essential small shops. The Executive has recently published research (available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/07/12103744/0) that examined three case studies and found that the associated general retail element was most important in the very remote community studied. Since 2003, the UK Government has provided £150 million annual funding across the UK to sustain the rural post office network and prevent all avoidable closures. The Executive regularly discusses the future of the network with the UK Government and advocates that the importance of rural shops, as well as the other social and economic benefits that can be provided by many post offices, are recognised in decisions about future arrangement.

Rural Development

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made or will make to the Co-operative Group regarding the future of cash-and-carry services in the Western Isles, with particular reference to ensuring the continued availability of an adequate cash-and-carry service for small retailers in the islands.

Ross Finnie: The Executive has no plans to make representations to the Co-operative Group regarding cash-and-carry services in the Western Isles. Whilst I regret any change that may disadvantage small retailers in remote areas, it must be recognised that these are commercial operational decisions for the company.

School Curriculum

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision has been taken to increase the study of Scottish history in primary and secondary schools.

Peter Peacock: Decisions on implementing the curriculum in schools are matters for schools and education authorities, in the context of curriculum guidance.

  In the context of curriculum reforms taking place my officials have recently met with the Scottish Association of Teachers of History to discuss their thinking on the curriculum and such discussions will help inform future curriculum thinking.

Schools

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information is held centrally in respect of the length of morning, lunch and afternoon breaks in schools.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has set targets or guidance in respect of the length of school break times.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to monitor trends in respect of the length of school break times.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally.

Scottish Executive Staff

Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what existing contracts it has, and what future contracts it expects to sign, with call centres, giving details of the location and nature of each centre.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive’s Scottish Procurement Directorate (SPD) has awarded three contracts which are still in operation for call centre services; the telephone helpline service contract based in Glasgow, the smoke free compliance line based in Irvine and the contract for handling public appointments based in Glasgow.

  The pilot for the 24 hour Child Protection Line was completed in July, and therefore no contract is currently in place. However, a re-tendering exercise is in its early stages and the contract is anticipated to commence in April 2007.

  The SPD does not hold details of any other call centre contracts held by other departments in the Scottish Executive and therefore this information could only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

  It is not possible to estimate how many contracts may be awarded in the future.

Sport

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage the hosting of major sporting events at venues throughout Scotland.

Patricia Ferguson: The Executive launched EventScotland in 2003 to develop and attract events which will bring more visitors to Scotland. EventScotland now has a significant events portfolio which enhances Scotland’s reputation as a premier events destination – our aim is to be one of the world’s foremost events destinations by 2015. (We are also working in partnership with the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland and Glasgow City Council to prepare Scotland's bid to host the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014).

Teachers

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra teachers have been employed in deprived areas since the allocation of the additional £62 million for this purpose and how it plans to monitor the impact of this funding on educational outcomes for pupils from these areas.

Peter Peacock: The £62 million of funding that has been made available to local authorities will be distributed on the basis of 80% GAE, 18% based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and 2% based on rurality. Funds have been available from the start of this school year.

  Teacher numbers are collected annually in the Teacher census and the results of the 2006 census will be available in due course.

  My officials are to hold discussions with those authorities that are major beneficiaries from the additional funds for multiple deprivation on the outcomes that are expected.

Teachers

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many probationer teachers were placed in schools in Dumfries and Galloway in 2005-06.

Peter Peacock: As at 31 August 2005 there were 54 probationers on the teacher induction scheme allocated to Dumfries and Galloway Council. It is for local authorities to allocate probationers on the scheme to schools.

Tourism

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what VisitScotland’s salary bill has been in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of its total budget for each year.

Patricia Ferguson: The VisitScotland salary costs in each year since 1999, also expressed as a percentage of its total budget, are shown in the following table:

  

 Year
Salary Costs (£000)
 % of Total Budget


 1999-2000
 4,687
 18.8


 2000-01
 5,176
 17.2


 2001-02
 5,666
 12.8


 2002-03
 5,767
 15.5


 2003-04
 5,789
 14.3


 2004-05
 7,078
 15.8



  The comparative figures for 2005-06 will not be available until VisitScotland publishes its audited accounts later in the year.

Tourism

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what VisitScotland’s central administration costs have been in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of its total budget for each year.

Patricia Ferguson: The VisitScotland central administration costs in each year since 1999, also expressed as a percentage of its total budget, are shown in the following table:

  

 Year
Central Administration Costs (£000)
 % of Total Budget


 1999-2000
 1,493
 6.0


 2000-01
 1,832
 6.1


 2001-02
 1,632
 3.7


 2002-03
 1,884
 5.1


 2003-04
 1,871
 4.6


 2004-05
 1,739
 3.9



  The comparative figures for 2005-06 will not be available until VisitScotland publishes its audited accounts later in the year.

Tourism

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Tourist Board and VisitScotland spent on marketing Scotland in (a) the United States of America, (b) Canada, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) France, (f) the Netherlands and (g) Belgium in each year since 1990.

Patricia Ferguson: This is an operational matter for VisitScotland. I will ask the Chief Executive of VisitScotland to write to you direct on this matter.

Tourism

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff the Scottish Tourist Board and VisitScotland employed in (a) the United States of America, (b) Canada, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) France, (f) the Netherlands and (g) Belgium in each year since 1990.

Patricia Ferguson: Neither VisitScotland nor the Scottish Tourist Board before it has directly employed any staff in the United States of America, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands or Belgium since 1990. In some cases, VisitScotland contract with local marketing, PR and other agencies for the supply of various services in these markets. The VisitScotland marketing staff who cover these countries travel extensively within them as the needs of their jobs require, where appropriate using VisitBritain offices as bases, and using new technology to remain in constant touch with their VisitScotland colleagues across Scotland.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Accommodation

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the up-to-date estimate of cost is for repairs to the debating chamber roof.

George Reid: The latest estimate of the cost of the works to repair the chamber roof is around £350,000. Work is on-going both to finalise these and associated costs and to pursue the recovery of costs.